Appropriately named, if you ask me. Black Friday. It’s a dark day. Yes, an opportunity for brands to drive traffic and spike sales and for consumers to bag a bargain. But yes, also an opportunity to stress supply chains, squeeze smaller businesses and cause environmental harm, all at the same time.

In the past few years, Black Friday has surged in popularity, with online sales increasing year on year. Lots love it, I know. And some do benefit from slashed prices, flash (read fake) sales, allowing them to finally get their hands on the item they’ve been waiting to buy all year. Those who love to hunt a bargain are in their absolute element. And I’m sure (or hope) the adrenaline rush they get, when they purchase the item they want, is worth it. Many supporters claim it eases pressure by helping them to get their Christmas shopping done by the end of November. 

But I can’t help feeling that the real winners are the brands that are shifting stock. There are so many that artificially inflate prices, and keep them high, only to announce a large Black Friday discount to entice us in. It’s also often a way for businesses to clear the decks of old stock before the Christmas decorations go up and newer merchandise lands. And how many of us are sucked in, buying things that we don’t need or wouldn’t have otherwise bought? Then of course there are those that are tempted into buying items they really can’t afford or don’t need. That was me in 2021, when I bought the natural daylight lamp that was recommended by Davina Mcall for a fraction of the full price; only to never work out how to use it. It makes an interesting ornament at least. Or worse still, those that unwittingly buy items at the higher price, not knowing they will soon be discounted in a Black Friday sale. Yep, I’ve been that mug too. What cost is this to a brand in terms of a customer’s lost loyalty and trust.

And don’t get me started on the smaller retailers who simply can’t afford to keep up with the bigger players. They don’t have the luxury to offer such large discounts and end up squeezed out when aggressive price wars take hold. 

Is this progress? Or have we become more mere slaves to sales? Dredged along by a giant consumerist promotion machine that is well oiled and slick at sucking us in.

Meanwhile, stop a minute and think of the poor supply chain of shop assistants, warehouse employees, distribution companies that are stretched to their limits to cope with the demands being put upon them in an overly and falsely stimulated buying period.



There is, however, hope. All is not lost. I’m holding on to the fact that some businesses are bucking the trend – and their efforts reach from closing stores to charity endeavours. Take for example, Patagonia, designers of outdoor clothing for all the family, who are spearheading a movement against Black Friday and have taken to dissuading shoppers from mindlessly buying and has instead used this sales period to educate consumers about their repair services, in a bid to stimulate more eco-conscious behaviours. Their stores and site remain open during Black Friday but there are no special discounts and they have been known to donate a portion of their proceeds from this time, to grassroots groups that focus on climate change.

Then there’s Ikea, who launched Bring Back Friday, where instead of traditional Black Friday discounts, they offered customers up to 50 per cent off new items if a customer returned a piece of furniture to their local store, to give it a second life.

Big up to these brands, leading the way in bucking the Black Friday trend. We think the planet and our purses will thank them for it.